Best Kate Bush Hounds of Love Vinyl Pressing: UK, Japanese, Audio Fidelity and 2018 Compared

Hounds of Love is unusually well suited to vinyl. Side one delivers five tightly arranged pop songs, while side two becomes The Ninth Wave, a continuous suite built from voices, percussion, folk instruments, samples and quieter atmospheric passages. The side break is not just a format limitation; it reinforces the album’s design.

The difficult part is choosing a pressing. Original UK copies are praised for energy and presence, the Japanese original is valued for a smoother tonal balance, the Audio Fidelity reissue has the strongest audiophile case, and the 2018 remaster is the easiest modern option. None of them wins in exactly the same way.

Quick verdict

Best overall: 2010 Audio Fidelity AFZLP 087 Best vintage choice: A clean 1985 UK EMI KAB 1 copy with the correct deadwax Best for a neutral, less bright balance: 1985 Japanese EMI EMS-91113 Best modern option: A current Fish People pressing using the 2018 remaster Not enough evidence to rank confidently: 2011 Fish People pressing

The Audio Fidelity edition earns the strongest overall recommendation because two independent audiophile reviews praise its quieter vinyl, greater space, fuller lower midrange and smoother treble. However, it is not an automatic bargain, and collectors who prefer the immediacy of an original may still choose a strong UK copy.

Pressings at a glance

Why this album exposes pressing differences

Hounds of Love is dense without being constantly loud. The drums and synthesizers on side one need impact, but the record also contains exposed vocals, quieter transitions and the layered sound world of The Ninth Wave. A noisy copy can distract during those quieter passages, while an overly bright mastering can make the album’s upper range and vocal textures tiring.

That is why the sources do not agree on one simple winner. Some prioritize energy and presence. Others prefer smoother treble, quiet surfaces or a fuller modern balance.

1985 UK EMI KAB 1: the vivid original

A strong UK original remains the most appealing vintage choice.

The Skeptical Audiophile describes its selected UK copy as large, lively and full-bodied, with immediate vocals, firm bass and enough transparency to reveal the production’s depth. That is an enthusiastic verdict, but it needs a qualification: the publication compares multiple copies and sells specially selected examples. Its praise applies to a high-performing copy, not automatically to every UK record with KAB 1 on the sleeve.

The Analoq community evidence points in the same general direction. Three listeners played identifiable UK KAB 1 copies. Across those reviews, the repeated qualities were clear vocals, strong percussion and a vivid presentation that preserved the contrast between side one and The Ninth Wave. One listener found the production dramatic without losing softness in the quieter passages; another noted that the large drums and synthesizer layers stayed clear rather than swallowing Kate Bush’s voice.

That consistency is useful, but three reviews are still a small sample. It supports a pattern, not a universal rule.

There is also a reason to be careful about using measurements from other “1985 vinyl” copies. Magic Vinyl Digital found treble emphasis on its European 1985 copy, but the tested record is not clearly established as the same UK Townhouse cut represented in the Analoq reviews. It would be misleading to claim that every UK original has the same bright balance.

Who should buy it?

Choose a UK original when you want the album to sound immediate and alive, and when you are willing to inspect the exact copy rather than buying on the year alone. Confirm the KAB 1 catalogue family and check the deadwax for the expected cutting information. Condition matters greatly on this album.

1985 Japanese EMI EMS-91113: the neutral option

The Japanese EMS-91113 has the clearest technical case for listeners who are sensitive to brightness.

In its comparison of eleven physical and digital editions, Magic Vinyl Digital found that the Japanese LP retained the original recording’s balance without the treble lift measured on the other 1985 vinyl copy. It also rated the pressing quality and dynamics positively, calling the Japanese edition one of the album’s best pressings.

That wording matters. The source does not prove that the Japanese pressing beats every UK, US or audiophile copy. It demonstrates that the specific EMS-91113 tested is a well-balanced, high-performing edition.

Compared with the UK option, the likely trade-off is character rather than simple quality. The Japanese pressing is the safer recommendation for a controlled and even presentation. A strong UK copy may sound more forceful or immediate to listeners who value energy over strict neutrality.

Who should buy it?

Choose EMS-91113 when you want an original-era pressing with a balanced upper range and a strong reputation for clean presentation. It is the best-supported choice for listeners who find some early copies too bright.

2010 Audio Fidelity AFZLP 087: the strongest overall contender

The Audio Fidelity reissue has the broadest positive case across the accessible sources.

TONE Audio praises the Hoffman and Gray mastering for preserving air around the recording, bringing the vocals forward, expanding the sound field and using exceptionally quiet vinyl. Its comparison copy was an ordinary US pressing, so the review proves a major improvement over that edition rather than over the best UK or Japanese original.

A second comparison appears within Randy Wells’ Analog Planet review of The Sensual World. While the article’s main subject is another Kate Bush album, Wells includes a substantial recap of his Hounds of Love shootout. He compared the Audio Fidelity LP with a UK LP, Japanese LP, Japanese CD and Simply Vinyl LP. His conclusion favors Audio Fidelity for added warmth, stronger percussion, greater lower-midrange weight, smooth treble and a near-silent pressing.

That comparison is important because it moves the case beyond “better than a basic US copy.” It directly places Audio Fidelity against several serious alternatives.

Analoq also has one exact-copy review of AFZLP 087. That listener did not claim it was the only version worth owning, but valued its identifiable Hoffman/Gray mastering, collectibility and the way the vinyl format emphasizes the album’s deliberate two-side structure.

Taken together, these sources make Audio Fidelity the most defensible overall recommendation. It combines quiet surfaces with a sound that is spacious and full without turning the album into a heavily altered modern remaster.

Who should buy it?

Choose Audio Fidelity when you want a premium pressing with a strong comparative case and do not need an original 1985 copy. Its main disadvantage is practical rather than sonic: availability and asking prices can vary, so the recommendation does not mean every copy is worth any price.

2011 Fish People: enjoyable, but not proven superior

The 2011 Fish People LP receives a positive firsthand review from Moments in Transition. The writer found it spacious and detailed through headphones, especially during The Ninth Wave, and felt that the side break improved the experience of the album as a complete work.

That is useful evidence that the pressing can sound good, but it is not enough to rank it above the original, Japanese, Audio Fidelity or 2018 editions. The source does not provide a direct comparison, and its precise mastering lineage is not clearly established.

This pressing belongs in the guide because buyers will encounter it, but it should not be promoted as a hidden definitive edition on the basis of one enthusiastic review.

2018 remaster: fuller, clean and easy to recommend

The 2018 remaster takes a different approach from the original-era pressings.

Magic Vinyl Digital found that the 2018 LP retained good dynamics and pressing quality while adding more bass and a more contemporary tonal balance. It is not presented as badly compressed or carelessly produced; it simply sounds different from the original mastering.

The Second Disc reviewed the wider vinyl box series and praised its quiet pressings, crisp detail and carefully recreated sleeves. Because that assessment covers the box rather than a direct Hounds of Love shootout, it supports manufacturing and presentation quality more strongly than a “best sounding” claim.

For most buyers who want a clean modern copy, the 2018 version is the safest uncomplicated recommendation. It offers strong pressing quality, good dynamics and fuller bass without requiring vintage-copy hunting.

Are the current coloured and special editions different?

Not in the way many buyers assume.

Kate Bush’s official album page states that the current physical versions use the 2018 remastered audio. The black and Raspberry Beret Fish People variants therefore should not be ranked as different masterings simply because their vinyl colours or packaging differ.

The Baskerville Edition is more specific: it uses black vinyl pressed at Record Industry from new lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman from James Guthrie’s 2018 remasters. That may make it a distinct cut and presentation, but it is still based on the 2018 remastered source rather than a newly created mastering of the album.

Buy these editions for condition, presentation, collectibility or availability—not because a colour automatically signals better sound.

What the sources agree on

Across the external reviews and Analoq listener reports, several points recur:

1. Quiet vinyl matters. The album contains enough exposed and atmospheric material for surface noise to become intrusive.
2. The Audio Fidelity edition is a real mastering alternative. It is not merely coloured vinyl with premium packaging.
3. The Japanese original is the strongest neutrality-first choice.
4. A good UK copy can sound vivid and emotionally immediate.
5. The 2018 remaster is well produced, but its fuller bass gives it a different presentation.
6. The exact copy matters more than the year printed on the sleeve.

Where the sources disagree

The disagreement is mostly about which quality should matter most.

A listener who wants maximum presence may prefer a strong UK original. Someone who dislikes upper-range emphasis may choose the Japanese pressing. Audio Fidelity offers the most complete premium balance of warmth, space, percussion and quiet surfaces. The 2018 remaster gives buyers a fuller and more accessible modern version.

This is why “best pressing” should not mean that every other edition is wrong. The more useful answer is to identify the edition that best fits the listener’s priorities.

Best pressing by listener type

Best overall: Audio Fidelity AFZLP 087

It has the strongest combination of comparative praise, quiet pressing quality, smooth treble, space and weight.

Best original-era pressing for neutrality: Japan EMS-91113

The clearest choice for listeners who want the original mix without the treble emphasis found on the other measured 1985 copy.

Best original-era pressing for energy: UK KAB 1

A strong copy can sound vivid, immediate and dramatic. Confirm the exact pressing and condition rather than assuming all UK originals perform equally.

Best modern purchase: 2018 remaster or current Fish People variant

The practical choice for a clean copy with good dynamics, crisp detail and fuller bass.

Most uncertain: 2011 Fish People

Positively reviewed, but there is not enough comparative evidence to place it above the major alternatives.

Final verdict

The 2010 Audio Fidelity AFZLP 087 has the strongest overall case of the pressings compared here. TONE Audio finds it dramatically more open and spacious than an ordinary US copy, while Analog Planet’s broader comparison favors it over UK, Japanese and Simply Vinyl alternatives for warmth, percussion, lower-midrange weight and smooth treble.

That does not make the originals obsolete. A strong UK KAB 1 remains the most exciting vintage choice, especially for listeners who value presence and impact. The Japanese EMS-91113 is the better original-era option for neutrality and controlled treble. The 2018 remaster is the sensible modern purchase, with good pressing quality and a fuller tonal balance.

The edition to avoid is not one particular pressing. It is an unidentified or worn copy bought solely because a seller calls it an “original.” On an album with this much quiet detail and layered production, exact pressing identity and condition matter as much as reputation.

Sources

• Jean-François, “Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love – review: CD, Vinyl, Vinyl Japan, Cassette, Qobuz, Tidal, original and remastered 2018”, Magic Vinyl Digital.
• Jeff Dorgay, “Kate Bush – Hounds of Love”, TONE Audio.
• Randy Wells, “Audio Fidelity Takes on The Sensual World”, Analog Planet. Includes a substantial comparison of the Audio Fidelity Hounds of Love LP.
• “Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love”, The Skeptical Audiophile.
• Joe Marchese, “Review: Kate Bush, Remastered in Vinyl Boxes 1 and 2”, The Second Disc.
• “Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love (1985)”, Moments in Transition.
• Kate Bush / Fish People, official Hounds of Love edition page.
• Kate Bush / Fish People, Hounds of Love Baskerville Edition details.
• Four Analoq listener reviews: three UK EMI KAB 1 copies and one Audio Fidelity AFZLP 087 copy.